pple and corn bread-stuffed pork loin is stuffed with a double-butterfly method that makes a pinwheel pattern you see when the pork is sliced so that it looks and tastes unusually interesting.

The low-fat dish is made with a recipe from Cooking Light magazine’s November issue that’s part of a “cooking class” feature by Bruce Aidells all about pork, its versatility and flavor.

He calls pork loin a forgiving cut, tender and lean, but with just enough fat to make it harder to overcook. It is best roasted, and it’s easy to butterfly and stuff.

In this recipe it’s stuffed with and baked atop apples. The apple wedges over which the pork cooks are discarded, but they contribute lots of flavor.

Apple and corn bread-stuffed pork loin

Cooking spray

1/2cup finely chopped onions

1/4cup finely chopped celery

11/4teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple

1 1/2cups corn bread stuffing mix

11/3cups apple juice or cider

1 1/2teaspoons dried rubbed sage

1large egg, lightly beaten

14-pound bone-less center cut pork loin roast, trimmed

1 1/2teaspoons salt

3Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch wedges

2teaspoons cornstarch

114-ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion, celery and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add diced apple; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place apple mixture in a large bowl, and cool slightly. Stir in the stuffing mix, 1/3 cup juice, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and egg; set aside.

Starting off-center, slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open butterflied portions, laying pork flat. Turning knife blade parallel to surface of cutting board, slice larger portion of pork in half horizontally, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat. Place plastic wrap over pork; pound to 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Spread stuffing over pork, leaving a 1/2 -inch margin round outside edges. Roll up pork, jellyroll-fashion, starting with a long side. Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine. Combine 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sage, and 1 teaspoon salt; rub over pork.

Arrange apple wedges in a single layer in bottom of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place pork on apples. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees (do not remove the pork from oven). Bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees. Remove pork from pan; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard apple wedges.

Combine 1 cup juice, cornstarch, and broth in a small saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and serve with sauce.

Makes 12 servings (serving size about 5 ounces stuffed pork and about 21/2 tablespoons sauce). Per serving: 249 cal., 8.3 g fat (2.9 g saturated fat), 24.3 g pro., 18.2 g carb., 2.6 g fiber, 81 mg chol., 567 mg sodium.

Photo and graphic by

Judy Stanley / Herald Artist